top of page

The Value of Ink

The faintest ink is more powerful than the strongest memory.” - Chinese proverb


Your printer runs out of ink again. Easy fix, you get in your car and make your way down to Office Max. You find the cartridge and merrily make your way to the cashier. Your total is $141.99, tax not included. You’re not so merry anymore. You ask yourself, when did ink get so expensive? I’m sorry to tell you, it’s always been this way.



While ink has been present since cavemen drew on walls, ink as we know it dates back to 2500 BC, created simultaneously in China and Egypt, as explained by the Britannica Encyclopedia. In the former, archeological findings prove it predates the earliest of dynasties, the Xia. According to Shanghai Daily, it was during the Qin dynasty’s reign (771-206 BC), that ink paintings were developed, as were ink sticks.



A solid form of ink that when crushed against an ink stone with some water would allow the creation of shui mo hua (水墨画), or “water-ink painting”. Ink sticks and stones became two of the four treasures of study to Chinese scholars. And the finest of ink sticks, as detailed by the China Global Television Network, became more expensive than their weight in gold.


The indispensable liquid stained its way down the Silk Road until it reached every corner of the world. Until now, forty-five centuries later, ink still marks our everyday lives. From tattoos to childhood pictures, to that essay your teacher wanted printed in double space. No matter how much we upload to the Cloud, ink is far from obsolete. So much so, I want you to ask yourself: What are the most important documents in history? Is it the Bible, the Treaty of Paris, or the Communist Manifesto? Think of literature. Consider Cervantes’ Don Quijote, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”, or Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. What was used to write them?


Ink. 


These texts and many more have shaped the history of humanity. Could we find a common denominator and attribute the events of our past to this unassuming black liquid? Perhaps, perhaps not. But there is no denying its impact on humans and our civilizations. Returning to our initial inquiry, ink is still more expensive than its weight in gold. Printer ink is, as specified by recognized ink suppliers and History Today, more expensive than its weight in imported Russian caviar and vintage Krug champagne. 


You can choose to indulge in gold, caviar, and champagne. Or, you can buy that ink cartridge your printer’s begging for. Your choice, but remember the wise words of those who created the liquid. While your memory of luxury will fade, whatever you print out will remain forever. Ink, however expensive, has been used to craft the identity of humanity. Could you put a price on that?


This is a repost from my work in Academia Maria Reina's insightful magazine, Sapphire, which I encourage any blue bee with a little too large imagination to join.


Love,

a girl that likes obscure facts


Comments


bottom of page